It’s a gas Overheard recently in Munich: “We took a look at the commonality between the British and German Tornados. To be honest, it’s the fuel.” ...and also in Munich When asked about future suppression of enemy air defences (SEAD) weapon options for the Eurofighter, the briefer responded: “There could be more interest in the depression of enemy air defences.” Just imagine it: “Oh god, another SAM battery to attack, how depressing...” |
Spotter power And the Reginald S Potter prize this year goes to... “In their book, Torture Taxi, which will be released on Thursday and is already in its second printing, Thompson and Paglen, with the help of plane-spotting hobbyists, follow the trail of pain from a small town in Smithfield, North Carolina, and secret bases elsewhere in the United States, to Europe, Egypt and Kabul, Afghanistan, unraveling a thin veil of government deception.” (From PRNewswire, describing the role of “anoraks” in the recent book Tracking the CIA’s Torture Taxi by A C Thompson and Trevor Paglen.) Cruise missile power Lockheed Martin Missiles and Space vice-president Randy Bigum, a man with probably the best name in the defence business, says there are advantages in being a cruise missile manufacturer when it comes to dealing with problematic consumer product retailers: “I tell them I make precision weapons and I know where you live. It works with car dealers and stuff like that!” All turned around Budgie News (at futuristic rotorcraft briefing): “Er...which is the front?” Rotor Head: “Ah yes...well, that’s the great thing about rotorcraft...the pointy end can be any part you want!” Naming it right Nephew Peter Dennis was amused to read in a recent edition of Budgie News (29 August – 4 September) that Kenya’s “748 Air Services” operate genuine ex-military Hawker Siddeley Andovers. Surely, says Peter, “Air Andover” would have flowed off the tongue better than using the designation number of its civil counterpart? Even more confusingly, the photo caption explains it has just taken delivery of its first Bombardier Dash 8. “If this is the start of a re-equipment programme, I guess it will shortly be changing its name to ‘Dash It All’,” he says. In the same issue, he notes the headline “Lynx SAR completes high-speed F-16 trials”. “Expecting to read of a daring rescue of a downed fighter pilot by an AgustaWestland Lynx in search and rescue trials, I was surprised to find it was about a new synthetic-aperture Radar called Lynx.” Good stuff. Thanks Peter...that’s exactly why you need to keep reading Budgie News! |
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Source: Flight International
